Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-10-20
CHAPTER XIX.

THE DUCHESS IN THE PRISON CELL.
This is number forty-four," the
matron repeated, seeing slightly re-
wildered expression come over the
beautiful face.
There was sudden and awful change
when the matron said:
Number four-four the Duchess of
Meath has received permission to visit
you.
They never forgot the startled cry or
the look of agony that came over the
prisoners face when she heard that
name. She raised her hands with
gesture of despair; her face had grown
as white as the face OF the dead The
duchess went up to her slowly; she saw
some great yet subtle change in her;
she was the same yet not the same.
She held out her white jeweled hands
in kindly greeting to her; but the pris-
oner waved them away with passion
of tears. She cried out;
Il am not worthy! | may not tou'h
them" Then she recoiled from the
beautiful face, looking so wistfully into
hers. She drew back until she stood
against the wall of the cell, and still the
duchess followed her until she stood
just before her, looking still with visit
full eyes in hers
81 am your friend" she said, mot
your enemy. am here in all loving
kindness. Speak to me-look at me;
say thatyou are pleased to see me-"
'''f you would do me a Kindness"
said the prisoner, "leave me-"
mo, cannot do that. have come
purposely to see you; have come some
distance. Why need l leave you?
Surely the sight of me can not displease
you; you seemed to like me at Clavering,
Mrs. Grey, Do not turn from me; in
deed am here to love and comfort you,
to see what can be done. am quite
sure that you are innocent / have
always said So"
Mono, am guilty!' said Mrs.
Grey.
THAT is what want to ask you
about" said the uchess. 1--WE all know
that you had nothing to do with the
theft nothing to do with the diamonds;
we are quite sure of it Why do you
call yourself guilty, when you know it
is not SOP Let me talk to you. Take
your hands rom your face and listen to
me-"
Slowly enough the pale, sweet face
was raised to hers, there was something
of desperation in il, something strange,
too, and the Duchess of Meath looked
earnestly, almost eagerly at her.
"You are the same, yet not the same, !"
she said, slowly. what has made the
difference in youP"
Then, underneath the white cap, she
saw rings of golden hair, fine and soft
as those which grow on the head of a
child. She remembered suddenly that
Mrs. Grey's hair had always been dark,
then she understood what the change
was; the dark hair the dark brows, the
darkened skin, all so unsuited to the
beautiful violet eyes, were the disguise
she had assumed to hide herself.
"You are another yet the same"
she said again.
With her white fingers she gently
touched one of the rings of golden hair
that had escaped from her cap
why did you do thisp" she said.
"You so fair woman, why did you
darken your hair and facep can tell
you; it was because you had something
to hide"
Mrs. Grey s. runk from her, scared
and trembling. She held up her hands
with gesture of silence, but the duch-
ess went on.
I'VE all know there is some mystery
about you, and / believe that 1 know
what it is.
"Oh no! not that; anything but that {"
There IS no cause for alarm. even IL
l have penetrated your secret" said the
duchess, "as you will hear; on the con-
trary, if it be Us my father, Lord Stair,
and I think, you will be taken care of
for life"
Now that you will look at me and
listen to me, have many things to tell
you, and to ask you. First, beg of
you to trust me; whatever may be the
secret of your life, its history, its bur-
den, trust me-"
Passionate tears fell from the listen
cr's eyes
Try" said the duchess, kindly.
Looking at you, am quite sure that
on your soul there is no stain of sin or
erin o; but II some great misfortune,